Happy Labor Day weekend!  You gotta love celebrating a holiday weekend with family, friends and good food.   In the name of keeping it simple – and less laborious, I am going to use ingredients today that I have laying around my kitchen. My 8-year old son, Grant, and I made pita chips this week for a corporate cooking demo.  Needless to say, we overdid it – so I am going to use them along with the tons of  little golden yellow cherry tomatoes (aka Sunbursts™) that remained, too – and create a tasty appetizer with some Cabot® White Oak Cheddar* that I have in the fridge.  I am loving Cabot’s Farmers’ Legacy Collection Cheddar Cheese.  If you  have a favorite cheesy recipe, you can enter Cabot’s Farmers’ Legacy Recipe Contest.  The deadline is coming quickly – it’s September 5, 2014.   Check it out here.    Let’s have a fun holiday fete!

I love cherry tomatoes, of all sorts.  From the tiny red ones to the golden Sunbursts™, they pop in your mouth with a hydrating sweet crunch.  I enjoy snacking on them between meals, too.  From a nutrition standpoint, there’s a mere 45 calories in a 5-ounce serving and tons of potassium, vitamins C and A, as well a good dose of fiber.  All good things for keeping your heart, cells and appetite happy and healthy.

White Cheddar Golden Tomato Bites

Serves 4 (3 loaded chips each)

Ingredients

2 large whole wheat pita breads, split and cut into wedges

1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 small shallot, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup Sunbursts™ tomatoes, sliced into quarters

1 ounce Cabot® White Oak Cheddar Cheese, sliced thin

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (optional)

Directions 

To make the pita chips, preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Split the breads and then cut in half and then cut three triangle wedges per side.  Place pita wedges on a cookie sheet and bake until crisp and golden brown – about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

Place a small saute pan over medium heat; add olive oil, garlic and shallots.  Saute for 1 to 2 minutes or until translucent. Add tomatoes and saute for another minute until warmed.  Remove from stove top.  Dollop a teaspoon of heated tomato mixture on each pita chip and, if you want top with a sprig of cilantro, and a thin slice of cheese.

Turn on oven broiler (or use a toaster oven), and place topped chips into oven to melt cheese.  Remove once cheese is bubbly and golden brown.  Serve warm right from the oven.

Nutrition information (per serving): Calories: 157, Total Fat: 7 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Cholesterol: 7 mg, Sodium: 218 mg, Total Carbohydrates: 21 g, Dietary Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 1 g, Protein: 6 g

*Disclosure: I am a proud supporter and member of the Cabot Cheese Board, however all opinions (and recipes) are my own.

Enjoy eating simply,

-Vicki